New York City is considering banning the use of laundry detergent pods to save the environment. The ban would also include a significant fine for those who sell them.
This is happening as the city struggles with illegal border crossings, a massive crime problem and a shrinking tax base as people with the means to do so flee the city.
Don’t they have bigger problems to deal with than laundry baskets?
The New York Post reports:
New York could ban detergent packs, including Tide PODS, in latest ‘green’ crackdown – with fines of up to $1,200 for their sale
New York City may soon ban Tide PODS and other laundry detergent packages thanks to lawmakers’ latest “green” push.
The “Pods are Plastic” law, introduced by City Councilman James Gennaro last week, would make it illegal to sell pods and laundry towels if they are made with polyvinyl alcohol.
Fines for selling the pods would start at $400, double for a second violation and go up to $1,200 for breaking the rules more than twice, if the bill becomes law. The bill would also require training and awareness of businesses on the ban for the first year.
If passed, the law would not take effect until January 1, 2026.
Polyvinyl alcohol, or PVA, is used as a pod film that dissolves in water during a wash cycle. But scientists counter that it breaks down into tiny pieces of microplastic that continue to pollute waterways and slip through filter systems.
According to a 2021 study, approximately 19,000 tons of PVA are used in pods each year, including more than 8,000 tons untreated in U.S. water.
What do you think comes next?
A completely new black market. Laundry supplies. pic.twitter.com/r4dTclARIG
— Hummingbird (@Humming_birder) February 12, 2024
I suppose it’s easier than attacking real problems
—DSP (@DonnaPence5) February 13, 2024
Soon we will be able to wash our clothes only by banging them on rocks in a stream. https://t.co/SDfZFI48Nz
— Lawn Guyland Bobby (@MetsBob) February 12, 2024
Is this progress?
(Image: source)